An implanted penile prosthetic is a proven approach to relieve erectile dysfunction for male users.
A penile prosthetic typically includes one or more cylinders that are implanted in the corpora cavernosa of the penis, a reservoir implanted in the abdomen that communicates with the cylinder(s), and a pump, often located in the scrotum, that is employed to move liquid from the reservoir into the cylinder(s).
In a typical application, the user squeezes a bulb of the pump multiple times to draw liquid out of the reservoir into the bulb and thereafter transfer the liquid from the bulb into the cylinder(s). Squeezing the bulb thus inflates the cylinder(s) to provide the user with an erect penis. The user may return the penis to its flaccid state by selectively transferring the liquid from the cylinder(s) back into the reservoir.
The above-described penile prosthetics can experience autoinflation. Autoinflation occurs when the reservoir pressure increases, for example when the user bends or leans against a hard surface, which results in the reservoir being compacted or squeezed by the pubic bone, as one example. In this case the pressurized liquid in the reservoir is forced directly into the cylinder, thus creating an unintended and undesirable erection of the penis.